A Luxury Country House Wedding at The Elvetham Hotel in Hampshire
Amidst the inspiring beauty of the Hampshire countryside, surrounded by history, heritage and stunning architecture, what could be more perfect than a wedding ceremony or a renewal of your wedding vows at The Elvetham Hotel?
The Elvetham is a beautiful luxury hotel in Hook, a short distance from Basingstoke, Farnborough and Reading, and it offers the perfect historic setting for an elegant country house wedding.
With its striking architecture, The Elvetham is steeped in history,* and its 35 acres of grounds and gardens offer a stunning backdrop and endless photo opportunities to capture the magic of your big day.
Find out more about weddings at The Elvetham here.
I was really lucky to work with a very talented bunch of wedding professionals on a fabulous celestial themed wedding at The Elvetham last September. Just look at these gorgeous photos of the lovely Aga and Shay, and this beautiful venue – they speak for themselves.
Suppliers:
Venue: @elvethamweddings ~ Hair and makeup: @beautyandgracemua ~ Images: @auroraphotographic, @capturedbycrissi, @roxannebettycreative ~ Celebrant: @susannahcelebrantuk ~ Florist: @wildrosewhitchurch ~ Cake: @basingstoke_cakes ~ Veils: @HollyWinterCouture (moonphase) @adornbridalbyashley (celestial) ~ Dress: @oliveblossombridal ~ Stationery: @LovePaperCo ~ Wedding content creator: @WeddingStoryTeller ~ Jackets: @niamhdesigns ~ Jewellery and hair accessories: @garterandveil ~ Confetti: @proper.confetti
*I’m always fascinated to find out more about the history of the venues I visit in the course of my work. The Elvetham has certainly played its part in history, with a number of notable figures and events linked to this beautiful location.
Elvetham was originally a Saxon settlement and at the time was part of the Eversley Forest; a small settlement near the River Hart. In the late 800’s AD, King Alfred the Great is understood to have made camp near Elvetham before his subsequent battles with Viking invaders.
Before the Norman conquest of England, The Domesday Book lists the owner of Elvetham as Eadric ‘the Wild’, who was so named because of his determined opposition to the Norman invaders. After the Saxon’s defeat by William the Conqueror, the Normans seized the lands of Elvetham from Eadric.
In 1205, King John visited the Elvetham manor. He used his visit to prepare for his invasion of France and called together the loyal nobles in the area. The King had them affirm their ‘friendship’ or allegiance to him.
After the Black Death pandemic subsided, In 1403 Henry VI allowed the Esturmy family, the owners of the Elvetham manor to ‘enclose and empark’ a further 300 acres of land. As a result, William Esturmy became highly influential, becoming Speaker of the House of Commons. He was also knighted in the early 1400’s.
Ownership of The Elvetham passed to John Seymour and by 1532 he had earned the role of one of the King’s ‘grooms of the bedchamber’. In October 1535, King Henry VIII and his second wife Anne Boleyn visited The Elvetham, dining with John Seymour’s family, including his daughter Jane. The following year, after Anne Boleyn fell out of favour with the King for her inability to provide a male heir, the King turned his attention to Jane. The couple were betrothed shortly afterwards. They are understood to have come to The Elvetham before their wedding, and then again in August 1536.
The Elvetham remained a key location after the death of Henry VIII in 1547, as his successor, Edward VI was a Seymour and his uncle Edward Seymour (Jane’s brother) was the leader of the regency council who assumed power to rule in the 9-year old King’s stead. By 1551, Edward Seymour had been arrested for treason and his estates, including Elvetham, were forfeit upon his execution.
In 1591, Queen Elizabeth I visited Elvetham Manor, during a summer tour of Hampshire. Archaeological remains of the half-moon lake, built specially for the Queen’s visit are located near the modern tennis court at Elvetham.
Before leaving, the Queen planted an oak tree in the Elvetham grounds, which remains there to this day.
Although unconfirmed, William Shakespeare may have been present or even participated in the Elvetham Entertainment held during Queen Elizabeth I’s visit and some believe that the water pageant inspired his play ‘A Midsummer Nights Dream’.
King James, planted several Scots fir trees on the grounds during his visit to The Elvetham.
Whilst King Charles I was imprisoned in 1646, Elvetham owner William Seymour, Marquess of Hertford stayed with the king and was one of four lords who petitioned the Commons to assume responsibility for the King’s actions and to suffer death in his stead.
During the Victorian period, Elvetham Hall was on a par in size and opulence to some of the other great Victorian houses including Highclere Castle (now used as the location for ‘Downton Abbey’).
Between 1916 and 1919, Elvetham was used as a temporary hospital being used mainly for ANZAC (Australian New Zealand Army Corps) and Canadian officer wounded. Sadly, 17 men from The Elvetham estate lost their lives in the fighting during the Great War.
During the Second World War, a company of Royal Engineers briefly occupied the stable complex ahead of leaving for their D-Day landing mission in 1944.
